While Evans faced some challenging moments in recent games, his significant ice time on Friday night, clocking in at 21:13, spoke volumes about his role. He also led the Kraken's defensemen in ice time during Monday night's game. Although ice time wasn't recorded in Wednesday's 2-1 win over Vancouver in Abbotsford, BC, Evans's presence remains noteworthy.
Following a rocky start on Friday night, Evans seemed to bounce back impressively. Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol commented on his performance, stating,
"It's always reassuring to see how a young player responds when the game doesn't go well. He showed resilience, pushed through, and displayed confidence in the second and third periods."
The immediate fate of Evans could be influenced by the condition of fellow left-handed defenseman Vince Dunn. As a top-pair defenseman and the Kraken's second-leading scorer last season, Dunn hasn't participated in any games this week and had limited skating time. More updates are expected after Saturday's practice.
Shane Wright didn't play on Friday, and the current expectation is that he may head to Coachella Valley for a season of substantial playing time.
Tye Kartye, who logged 13:14 minutes of play with four hits and two shots against the Oilers, appears to be the young player most likely to secure a spot in Seattle.
Turning to the goaltender situation, Philipp Grubauer, the team's number one, played the entire game against the Oilers. It appears that the Kraken have made their decision regarding the backup role, with Joey Daccord serving as the backup on Friday night.